It’s Later Now – More Taikan-ten Bonsai

A Shimpaku juniper from the 34th Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition. The photo is from Michael Bonsai (on facebook) as are all the photos shown here. It’s later (than you think). A few days ago we put up a post titled Taiken-ten Bonsai, Some Pines First, More Later. Now it’s later. So here they are, as promised. I’m going to go ahead and guess the varieties. Not because I’m brave (or foolish, though you could take issue) but because these look pretty easy. Looks like a Japanese white pine. Ume (AKA Prunus mume, AKA Japanese apricot). The bark is a … Continue reading It’s Later Now – More Taikan-ten Bonsai

A Beautiful New Bonsai Book

Ginkgo. A close up of the cover tree from the new Crespi Bonsai Museum gallery book. We only occasionally devote a whole post to advertising and then only when we think what we are selling is newsworthy or warrants some special attention. It has been a long time since we’ve seen such an exceptional new bonsai book. Quality photography, materials and production combine with fifty blue chip bonsai that have been shot over time and from different perspectives in a way that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable bonsai experience. This excellent new book allows you a taste of the world … Continue reading A Beautiful New Bonsai Book

Bonsai, Deadwood & Another World Series Win

Deadwood! Just before we originally featured this post (August 2012), we showed a couple of Serge Clemence’ bonsai in a post on deadwood. I guess the reason I didn’t include this Mugo pine in that post is because Serge has so many trees with powerful deadwood. Still…. Got excited about the SF Giants winning the world series last night and ended up sleeping until 9:00am this morning when I was shocked awake by a vicious horn blast from a truck delivering our 2015 calendars all the way from Japan (soil sieves –large & small – turntables and watering cans too). … Continue reading Bonsai, Deadwood & Another World Series Win

Walking Through Row after Row of Mind Bending Bonsai while Holding on to Your Socks

We don’t have any photos yet from the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, so we’ll harken back to the very first Exhibition (way back in 2008) and show you Jim Gremel’s magnificent cascading Sargent’s juniper that just happened to be the first grand prize (National Award Masterpiece) winner, in what is now becoming a long chain of U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition winners. I got back late last night from the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester (I left early due to previous commitment). No one except a designated professional is photographing the trees on display, so nothing to show … Continue reading Walking Through Row after Row of Mind Bending Bonsai while Holding on to Your Socks

A Magnificent Affront to Bonsai Orthodoxy

This magnificent old yamadori Shimpaku, with its self framing deadwood has to be one of the most outrageously unusual bonsai we’ve ever posted (ever seen, for that matter). It’s from Taisho-en in Japan. I originally found this image here. Trees as unusual as the one above are often controversial. I think some of this controversy is a human tendency towards orthodoxy. We get used to things a certain way and next thing you know we’re defending that way as the correct way. All three photos shown here are of trees that live at Taisho-en. Here’s a short discription I lifted … Continue reading A Magnificent Affront to Bonsai Orthodoxy

Time and the Ravages of Nature

This after photo by Juan Andrade is a very good example of a field grown bonsai that is grown and styled to look like a yamadori (bonsai collected frm the wild). Though this is a very sweet little tree that might at a glance fool someone, still, there is something about true yamadori that is impossible (almost impossible?) to mimic. Even in the hands of someone as skilled as Juan (and whoever originally grew and styled this tree). This post picks up on Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori from last week. Here’s the before photo. You don’t have … Continue reading Time and the Ravages of Nature

Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori

After. This sweet little Shimpaku and the one below were posted on facebook by Bjorn Bjorholm. The before photos for both trees are at the bottom of the post. Before I make another mistake and look foolish in the process, here’s my disclaimer for this post: I don’t know for a fact the origin of the bonsai shown here. Much of what I have to say below is simply conjecture. Lately I’ve been noticing field grown bonsai stock that look like yamadori (bonsai stock collected from the wild). More accurately, the best look almost like yamadori. I believe that’s the … Continue reading Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori

Daring & Over-the-Top Brilliant

Daring and brilliant. I think the daring part is combining such a strong and unique pot with such a brilliant little flowering tree. Each could stand on its own, no problem. But together the brilliance is multiplied. This photo and the other photos in this post are from Machiko Koide’s timeline on facebook. I don’t know much about Michiko Koide and google didn’t help. All I could find is her facebook timeline. Turns out, based on the photos, that’s plenty These pots are most excellent, with or without little trees. The two handed approach (see our last post). Contrast … Continue reading Daring & Over-the-Top Brilliant

A Bonsai in Hand

It’s not unusual to see a photo of someone holding a small bonsai in one hand. However, you almost never see a photo with someone holding a bonsai with two hands. Until now that is. This two handed approach gives the feeling that the tree (a rather spectacular Shimpaku) is being offered. This photo and the others in this post are from Japan Shohin Bonsai. One of the problems with photographing bonsai is conveying size. The easiest and perhaps best way is to provide something familiar for contrast. It used to be fairly common to see bonsai with cigarette packs … Continue reading A Bonsai in Hand

It’s About the Moss, Our Masters Bonsai Soil, and…

A little shaggy and the pot is dirty but it’s about the moss, our Masters Bonsai Soil and a post we did a while back. An important issue came up in a post we did a while back about our Masters Bonsai Soil. The comment that provoked the question was by Andy Rutledge. Here’s what Andy said: Soil particulate size, especially at the surface, is important. These photos, the latter two especially, indicate problems in tree health will arise in the coming growing season. Be careful. In a follow-up comment Andy goes on to say: …particle size necessarily varies due … Continue reading It’s About the Moss, Our Masters Bonsai Soil, and…